The Saga of Darren Shan Lord of the Shadows
by Jedi Solo
Summary: Vampire Prince Darren Shan goes home after 30 years of vampirism...and finds out his family are in terrible danger spoilers for books eight nine and 10
1. Prologue

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Darren Shan - Lord of The Shadows

Prologue

My name is Darren Shan, and I am a half vampire, I know you probably don't believe me, though I doubt if I read this I'd believe it myself but it is true. My tale all started long ago when I went to Cirque Du Freak a freak circus with my best friend Steve Leonard. There my friend met a vampire, his name Larten Crespley and Steve actually asked him to make him a creature of the night. 

But the vampire wouldn't, he said he was evil, it was then I should have known the truth, when I foolishly stole the vampires pet tarantula and when she bit Steve I asked him to help me as my friend lay in his death bed. However, Crespley only agreed to help me if I became his assistant! 

So that's how it started. I had to fake my own death, be buried alive! Listen to my own funeral and then in the middle of the night was dug up by Crespley and had to leave my parents and my little sister Annie and probably never see them again. Then aswell I had to learn the way of the creatures of the dead. 

That was about 20 years ago, I was 14, so I look like a 16-year-old (we only age one tenth so every ten years we age one!) Which is more annoying than you can imagine. Now my demons have caught up with me, I did save Steve, but he found out my becoming a vampire and swore to kill the two of us on the very night I was dug up from my grave.

Steve Leonard grew up just like me, now a man in his thirties, now having accomplished his first promise, killing my mentor. He is after me, and what makes it worst is that I am now supposed to be out to kill him because he is the lord of the Vampaneze. Who are Vampires distant cousins, who kill their victims they drink from, where vampires do not and the Lord is supposed to bring our vampire rule to an end.

Since my friend Larten's death I have been at Cirque Du Freak. Harkat has kept me company all the way through my grief, as have all of the performers there. Harkat Mulds is a Little Person, a soul which has died and brought back to the living by the infamous Mr Tiny who brang the prophecy of Steve's reign. Harkat is poisoned by our air and uses a mask to stay alive; he wears a blue hooded cloak and has more scars on his grayish face than anyone I know of.

Therefore at the end of our last adventure, I sat there with Harkat who before he had died was Kurda Shamlt a to-be Vampire Prince like myself, who killed my best friend Gavner Purl and betrayed the vampires. When Mr Tall the owner of Cirque Du Freak head my way, he showed me the map of where they were heading next and after he had gone my face was pale.

Harkat walked up to me noticing my pale like stance. "Darren…what is the matter…"

I sighed thoughtfully, my mind wasn't in Cirque du Freak or even around the vampires at that moment, only the thing that scared me and thrilled me at the same time. I leaned back against the door of Mr Tall's caravan. I looked at my friend Harkat and gave a weak laugh. 

"I'm finally going home…"

***


	2. Chapter 1

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Chapter 1

I hadn't visited my hometown for many years; in fact, the last time I was there was the day of my "funeral". Now Cirque Du Freak would be there once more…and so would I, and that was a scary thought, all the way there I wondered more and more about my family, about Annie and how she was. How my mum and dad were. 

Harkat kept sighing sadly when I mentioned them to him, and it drove me mad at some times. When a day before arriving he asked me a simple question, one I hadn't truly thought about. "What if…you run into your…old family what…will happen if…they see you…alive?"

I went a little pale. I hadn't thought about that at all. However I didn't mind the thought of them seeing me again, I wished I could have told Annie about me, my curse or I should say my gift. I could tell her about Steve and I and Crespley's death. She'd believe me I know she would. 

Then we finally arrived. I wanted to go about and look about my old neighborhood, but Mr Tall wouldn't hear of it.

"Darren, you cannot go into a place where you're believed dead…"

"I'll go in disguise…" I insisted.

"And if you see your family? What then?"  
I puzzled over it until I shook my head, "I don't know…" I said sadly and honestly. Mr Tall sighed.

"Exactly. It is safer here for the moment Darren, I strongly advise you to stay here, and besides, I need you for my show…your going to be the main attraction."

I was very confused then. "Main attraction" I asked curiously. "What am I doing."

"You my vampire friend are going to do what Larten used to do in his younger years…you are going to do some aerobatics…

I shook my head in despair. Though I would love to I didn't think I could be ready to do that. "I can't do that!" I said. "I've had no practice at all!"

Mr Tall smiled. "You have 3 days…I am sure you'll be able to put them seventy two hours into good use…" and he walked away and Harkat and Truska (Truska is the prettiest performer in Cirque du freak who could grow a beard) came over to me.

"So?" she asked "What he say about you going home!" I smiled weakly.

"No…not yet. He says it's too dangerous"  
"What else…did he say?" said Harkat.

I gave them both a grin and smiled at the way Larten Crespley would have put it simply. "I have to learn the unthinkable…I have to learn to fly…" 

***

Learning the acrobatics weren't easy. The twins helped me out along with the other performers, even Harkat though he was too small to help me sixty feet in the air. There would be no safety net, I was stuck to either get physically hurt if I landed wrong…or to get really good results and have to risk my life again and again for a long time.

"You must…try harder…" said Harkat who helped me back to my feet after the fifteenth time falling from the air and on to my back.

"I can't do it…" I said moaning, the pain was unimaginable. "I am not able to do this!" I said angrily. Harkat then something I thought he'd never do. He laughed at me like a mad man, and he just didn't stop.

"Harkat…" I said sadly, annoyed he was laughing at me "What you laughing at me for!"

"You numbskull…"he said and I scowled, when he continued to speak " You fought vampaneze…took the trails…twice…and you are…technically sixteen years old! How can you not…"be able" to do this…small thing!" he said still laughing, I wanted to throttle him and agree with him at the same time.

"Shut up…" I said annoyed, and he did so, and I laughed at the obedience of it. "I know your right…but how--"

__

"Fate is told…on a heart-shaped…watch," said Harkat, "Mr Tiny…may be a mad man…but he does make sense…once you figure…out what that means, you…will understand your fate Darren Shan…" said Harkat solemnly and walked away, leaving me more puzzled than ever before.

***

After spending the seventy-two hours before the show practicing, rehearsing and getting rest, I thought I had finally got it. The night of the first show came quickly; Truska gave me a completely new suit, which was light and easy to wear in the heat of the tent.

It was a red cape and matching trousers and shirt, Also a red blindfold with the eyes cut out to disguise my appearance to any vampaneze or vampets in case they recognized me. It looked to me like an old army uniform. I thanked her and then she sighed.

"I didn't make them…" said Truska, "I made it size you, but was Lartens…When he preformed the aerobatics he simply amazing in that costume, and look like he could fly in the sky though you be better I know." She said sadly in her English accent, though she missed words out I understood. I thanked her gratefully and tried to picture Mr Crespley in the uniform, it was painstakingly hard to do without bursting into tears. A smirk fell on my lips. 

"The vain old git is probably cursing you in Paradise now for saying that…" I said but all I felt was my voice crack in my throat.

"You will do good." She said. "You will be…"

"I better be…" I said smiling, "I've trained long and hard for this…"

***

I sat on my trapeze waiting for the signal to get ready; I would come on after Evra and his oldest son Shancus and I knew then that I'd have to perform for my life. The signal came, Mr Tall's farewell to the audience and then the curtains came up and I began to breathe deeply, getting ready for the first fly across to the next trapeze.

Then the gaping crowd finally saw me, and I saw every performer at the Cirque looking with the audience from below. I ran off my small platform and twirled in the air as my feet left the platform and into the air. My blood was rushing to my head, adrenaline pumping through my body as I caught hold of the handle and I caught it with sweaty hands and swung round and back toward the platform. 

I breathed in deeply as I waited for the applause from the audience to slow, but the others in the Cirque waited, they knew that it was only the beginning of the performance. They knew I was saving my biggest stunt to last.

I did more swirling tricks and more and more applause came, each time getting louder and louder, for quarter an hour it continued and then I started my finale. I took out the sword from my belt and jumped off my platform to the ground of Cirque. I was to twirl my sword round and flit at the same time, a super fast speed, and then run round the room performing sword tricks.

I landed and then I went to begin my finale when I saw someone in the audience. Someone I hadn't seen for almost 20 years. I froze, I knew they were almost 30 now but I didn't care, They still had the looks of a child with bright blue eyes and the most roguish smile. I used to know them better than the back of my hand…a 10-year-old child. My little sister. _Annie Shan_!

*** 

plz review…taken me ages to get story line so plz! R and R…I need a hand to do the next scene so any suggestions will be helpful.


	3. Chapter 2

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Chapter 2

I couldn't believe what luck I had, I just didn't believe it, and I was performing to my thirty-year-old sister! 

Half of me, the old Darren Shan, fourteen-year-old football mad teenager, who loved his family dearly, supposed best friend Steve Leonard wanted to run up to her with open arms and cry their eyes out. However, the new me, around thirty year old Darren Shan The youngest Vampire Prince ever. One of the truest and most unbelievable of the surreal was stubborn about it and believed in hiding me until I knew the time was right to emerge. Though in my mind the battle of half bloods went through me I still preformed as well as I had guessed. However my eyes fixed on her sapphire blue ones, all the way through, for I could not remove them from my sight even if I tried to.

I finished my performance quickly and got a lot of applause by my fans. A lot of whistling, but little Annie I noticed had tears in her eyes. Why though I wouldn't know because I finished my performance and then sprinted out of the stage and Harkat and the others went pale when they saw my pale face.

"Darren Shan? What's…wrong!" said Harkat. 

I didn't want to answer him so I ran, I ran out of the way, past Truska, past Mr Tall, past Evra and the rest of the shocked Von Family. Then into my caravan where I planned to seat and cry, but Harkat was to fast and closed in behind me and slammed the door on me.

"DARREN!" He said angrily. "What has gotten into you…what happened did you see a ghost…or something man!" he boomed, and he reminded me of Crespley and I felt even worst. 

I bowed my head removed my mask and sighed. I was breathing heavily, and took in another breath. "Annie was in the audience Harkat." I said finding voice. He went even paler than me. I would have laughed at the grey now white face, However I was too shocked myself to. 

"Your Annie! 9 year old…Annie Shan" said Harkat and I nodded wordlessly.

"Aye…" I said coping a prince I knew named Vancha March/or Harst his real name he spat a lot and had green hair. "That would be her," I said.

"What are you going to…do" said Harkat comfortingly. "I'll back you all the…way no matter what you decide…" He said and I sighed sliding down the door of the caravan so I sat on the wet grass of the field looking up at the little Person with a sad grin.

  
"I don't know yet…but I can't just let her leave Harkat, don't worry I wont let her see me…not until I think I need to."

Harkat nodded. "That I think…is good enough for me…" he said and then he walked off himself as I stood ready to spy on my sister.

***

I waited until people started leaving Cirque before I went looking for her, I had this urge in me to see her again though she may recognize me now I am not in costume. I quickly ran out of the tent and I saw Annie walking out, a guy beside her. I didn't hear much but I overheard their small conversation.

"It was good wasn't it? That last act too…" said the man and Annie nodded, they were holding hands and in my mind I still saw her as the 9 year old who was the best at keeping promises. 

"Yes, the masked man was pretty good…"

"You alright, you seemed upset," he said and she nodded.

"I'm a little upset…" she said and I saw the devastation in her eyes.

"Why's that? He asked and I watched my little sister wiping her black massacre, which was running in with the tears on her face.

"Darren came here when he was younger…like I told to you…it was only a few weeks after and he was well—when he—" she said brokenly and then she cut short and started moaning softly in her own grief. 

I also watched the event, tears in my own eyes. I didn't want to believe any of this, that this whole world I know was just a dream world. That I was in a coma or something like that and soon I would wake up from it all and I'd still be fourteen and my mum and dad would go on and fuss over me. Then I'd still have Steve as a friend and he'd not become the Vampaneze Lord he'd not become evil. No Cirque Du Freak either, No Larten Crespley. No vampire mountain, No Harkat and no pain for my family or me! No vampires or vampaneze…However now I don't know how my life would be without vampires… I don't know how I'd live without them.

When I looked at the guy she was with, I couldn't really see him, he had a coat on and he looked about the same age as her. I felt like a protective father at this moment, when he turned to face me as they began to walk away, My face was even paler now. I couldn't take what I had just seen. I knew it. I couldn't tell who it was it wasn't someone I knew but this someone had three faint red marks on his left cheek. 

My sister Annie was dating a_ VAMPANEZE!_

***


	4. Chapter 3

**__**

Chapter 3

I watched closely after I saw the red marks, I could have been wrong about him, he could have scratched himself during the night, or he was going to be hunted by them or even something completely different, when I saw a "V" tattooed in his hair. The red marks around his eyes, he wasn't a vampaneze, but in some ways it was worse…a vampet was with my sister!

They were even holding hands and kissing! And what made it worst I couldn't be the older brother I used to be and storm in and hurt the guy who dared touch my sister before Annie realized who I was and why I wasn't dead.

My memories came whizzing through my head, all the names of my friends and enemies, my adventures, Cirque Du Freak; it was as though my whole life was supposed to end up this way! Steve Leonard was meant to become Vampaneze Lord, I was meant to become a prince lead the hunt to stop him. However my sisters role in this tale of twists and turns I am sure I would find out, and no matter what happened then I knew I must follow them to find out my next move.

I saw Harkat, I signaled to him I was fine, and then I went to go after them, when something happened then I did not intend to happen, which to me always happened at the most unexpected moments. I fell out of the tree I had been perched in, pain erupted in my head as I hit the floor, my eyes were watering and I couldn't see well only shapes and outlines. Harkat run forward, and I heard him mutter one word which made me quiver in the very fear of it…PURGE!

***

It was like being in hell. As it was first time, except hopefully this would be the last!

It had been 5 years since my last encounter with the Purge and I knew that this time I would grow to look like a twenty-year-old atleast! Then another terrible truth hit me; I would never ever be able to walk in the sun harmlessly again! I would become a true vampire, a full vampire, creature of the undead. Harkat and the other performers tried to help me, my hair was growing too rapidly, and as last time everything was the same, bad senses, bursts of energy, painful fusing of my bones the lot! Only one tiny thing was missing, there was no Larten or Vancha here to help me. 

Harkat was the most supportive, he like Crespley had done shaved off my rapid hair with a blunt knife, he gave me calm messages and as friends should helped me through my pain, Mr Tall did all he could, as did Evra and everyone else. However nothing could stop my pain, if I had painkillers, it would dull and then the pain pop back ten times worse, my energy would make me run so fast that only ever seemed to sprint everywhere nonstop.

When two months later it stopped for good. I definitely looked older, (no more kid comments) I looked like a twenty year old to even twenty-one and I was very glad about it. But as I knew it would, I had become a full vampire, I woke the morning after the Purge and realized that as I shielded my eyes from the sun, my skin had almost burnt, If I hadn't have woken up sooner I may have been dead.

It was only after the purge I remembered about my sister, two months could mean anything, she could have moved--could have died--could have changed so much, atleast Cirque hadn't gone anywhere. I still wanted to look around my hometown. This time though Mr Tall did relent, he said actually said that I could.

"Why didn't you let me go before?" I asked curiously.

"Because you looked like you did thirty years ago!" said Mr Tall seriously, "Now no one would recognize you at all…even your family." He said. I understood the logic and I nodded.

"Your right…" I said, and I decided to go for a nice, long walk though my old hometown.

*** 

It was as though I was walking in a dream, It was night-time but a lot of people were still up and about, I was so happy to look about the place again. When I began walking when I stopped, I turned to see the building I had spent my childhood in, my old secondary school.

I didn't know what caused me to do it. I was drawn to the school gates. I saw the playground. The football pitch I remembered scoring hat tricks in with my school friends. All the doors were closed so I couldn't get in, and I didn't want any alarms to go off, so I went to the window and looked in. It was Mr Dalton's English room; where I had spent many long and tiring afternoons talking and writing about "Macbeth" or "The Scottish play".

It was only six O'clock so I went to walk away when I saw a figure walk into the English room. It was as though I had gone back in time. **_For that figure was Mr Dalton!_ **It was almost thirty years ago since I had last seen him and he hadn't changed a bit…he was about thirty at the time I knew him so he was close to his retirement now and still looked quite young! 

I walked away. Just incase he caught me staring and questioned me…I don't think I could keep a straight face if he did. I ran out of the school grounds and carried on walking not believing what I had just seen.

I didn't know where I was going next, I kept my head low and just walked where my feet were heading, when I noticed a familiar sign, it was the name of my old road. What made me do it I didn't know I was going to ignore it and keep walking on to somewhere else, but I didn't. I turned it into my old street and I noticed the quite large house on the left.

I walked up to the window in almost a trance. This just had be a dream, I had not just go through the gate and up to the living room window of my old house I was not peering in to see my old living room.

However I was…It was not a dream at all. When I saw two medium sized figures walk into the same room I was staring into. I thought then that even a dream could never, ever compare to what I saw…because what I saw were an elderly couple who sat down on the sofa side by side. 

The old man holding his wife's hand comfortingly and both siting there watching the news; both didn't notice me, and for that I was glad. For what they would have seen would be a twenty-year-old man with dirty brown hair and blue eyes spilling with tears and they wouldn't have thought in their wildest dreams that I had been the one they used to call their son. 


	5. Chapter 4

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Chapter 4

I stood there looking at my parents' through the large window--and then I broke away and sobbed. I couldn't take it anymore, I sank to the muddy grass, and my knees covered in mud and began to cry, I then heard a sound like the coo of a white dove. 

"Are you alright mister?" it said and I then saw a face of a boy looking straight at me his nose against my nose, He had light brown hair and deep blue eyes, he only looked about 6 years old, and he had one of his front teeth missing. He looked at me and I looked at him and then he shouted something I will never forget… 

"Mum! Look…theres a scary looking man on nanny and granddads garden…" he said and I sat upright in horror. _Mum! Nan! Granddad!_ I stood up so fast that I smashed my head into the windowsill and then it seemed as though the streetlights went out.

***

Wherever I lay I knew it was a bed--a warm and cosy blanket. Maybe I was back home in my bed still thirteen; maybe everything I had gone through was just a dream, when I heard a familiar voice. It was sweeter than angels' voice--

"Mum…" I said, but I don't think she heard me because she put a cold flannel on my head and I could feel the bruise I felt pounding on my temple slightly lessen.

"Relax…you were knocked out young man…" she said, and I smiled warmly, still half asleep. 

"It was horrible nightmare…" I said weakly "I dreamed that I was a vampire prince…"

The warm voice laughed and it was sweet music to my ears, how I had missed that laugh in my dream. "You have a better imagination than my grandson--"

The word hit me like a punch in the face. GRANDSON! I sat up sharply and found I didn't have the strength to sit up and slid down again, but my eyes were wide, I was looking at my mum, and she was looking down at me.

"You hit your head really badly…Mr grandson Darren must have shocked you," she said and I know then that the blood most have drained from my face at the mention of a grandson.

"Sorry--" I said choked, "Did you say grandson?"

"Yes I did..." she said frowning, "Are you sure you alright? That is one of the nastiest bruises I have ever seen on your head--you must have a concussion from it…"

"No, I'm Mu-Miss.I will be on my way now" I said almost saying mum, feeling even more choked. I was a vampire and it hadn't given me a concussion because my head was quite strong. I noticed it was still dark outside the window. Either it had been a day since I got knocked out--or I had only been out for an hour or two…

"Seriously young man--you should stay for a while--you know--rest--I can see you look very ill…" she said referring to my pale complexion. "Then atleast you can meet my husband and my daughter, Annie was so worried when she saw you…"

I was breathing heavily now; I was so shaken about what had happened I could barely speak. She noticed I needed time alone and gave me a grin, "I was wondering--Have I ever met you before…? You look awfully familiar, have you got family around this town?"

I shivered--"No…I am new here--my family are gone" I lied.

"Well I am sorry to here that," she said sadly, "I'll leave you here for a while and I will call you down for dinner…it's only five in the evening--you were out all day and I am sure your hungry." She said and then she walked away and closed the door behind her. 

The moment she was gone I put my head in my hands, _what had I done?_ I was now stuck in my old house--I was sitting in my old bedroom--they hadn't moved anything for thirty years--my comics still lay exactly how I left it…My bed was still the same and still smelt of the lavender my mum had used to wash it in. I noticed that my shirt and things i had been wearing lay on the floor, and I went to put them on. 

When I thought about Annie, she had a son! I had a nephew! And she had named him after me. I knew needed to send word to someone…needed to get out of here and go back to Cirque du Freak before everyone started worrying. However, part of me wanted to stay--I wanted to talk to my nephew Darren, I wanted see my sister and my father again…

I must have been sitting there a long time when a familiar rapping on the door told me that my mum was about to open it, I was dressed now some normal clothing I had worn, my leather coat over me.

"Dinners ready…" she told me, and taking a deep breath I went to the door and opened it. 

***

I walked down the stairs, a smile on my face as I looked around my old house, my parents still don't like change--I thought to myself as I saw the old picture frames still hung up, and the same wall paper. When I saw my mum at the bottom of the stair.

"I hope you like what I am making, We've got chicken, roast patatoes, corn on the cob and for dessert strawberry cheesecake!" she said and my mouth went dry with sadness. They were going to be eating my favourite meal--the last meal I ate with them the last time I was known as there son…

"My favourite…" I told her smiling.

She sighed. "My daughter and husband are at the table." She said and led me through to the dining room. There they were both of them; Annie was sitting at the table as she laughed at a joke my father had just told. Beside him was my supposed nephew who as I walked in pointed at me and smiled.

"Look it's the Mister--he's awake!" he said laughing, "You slept a long time mister!" he said to me pointing, and I felt tears building up in my eyes, but I bit them back. 

"Hello there…" I said but all I heard was a choked sound. My sister walked over and put a hand on her son's shoulder.

"_Don't point at people…_" she muttered to her son and then turned to me. "Sorry if he gave you a fright the other day," She said smiling. "He likes talking to new people…" she said, and then she looked up at me, height wise nothing had changed-- I was still exactly half a head taller than my sister just as it should have been.

"Well, You've met my mother, Angela, but everyone calls here Angie…and this is my father Dermot--" said Annie and my dad walked over and shook me by the hand. "And this is my little boy Darren…"

"I'm six but I'll be seven in June!" Darren said and I smiled warmly. 

"Pleased to meet you" I said to both the boy and my father, "I'm Dar-" I said and was about to say Darren and stopped myself. "Daniel…Daniel Horston. But my friends call me Dan…"I told them and Annie smiled. 

"Nice to meet you Dan!" she said and at that moment, I had never been gladder that I had had the purge because then all of this had been possible.

****

***

Author Notes -

Hope you are enjoying this so far…to answer some people's questions--yes this is the real name of the eleventh book--which comes out in May/June in England if I am not mistaken! Sorry if my spoilers were not so clear for everyone-

I only just found out that in fact US haven't read number 7 number 8 number 9 or number 10 yet…soz…but this is in fact what I think will happen--I know it's kinda hard to do--but hey--I'm trying here…

Reviews are welcome and thanks to all that have reviewed…I know my chapters are short--but I will keep writing…

Thanks Jedi Solo…

Creature of the Surreal


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